The present invention is directed generally to a conforming funnel for a disposable fluid container and more particularly to a disposable funnel that can be inverted to form-fit onto the top of a one quart oil container or the like and be removably secured thereon until the contents of the container are to be emptied.
Motor oil is generally sold in the retail consumer market in the new "easy pour" one quart oil containers having a spout protruding from the container and usually offset from the central axis of the container. Even with these new "easy pour" motor oil containers, it is still very difficult to pour oil into a vehicle motor without a funnel, primarily because there are so many obstructions around the oil filler hole that one cannot position the container for easy placement of the neck of the container into the oil filler hole without spilling oil onto the engine. For certain vehicles, such as large recreational vehicles, a different problem is encountered, namely that the oil filler tube is almost horizontal.
Perhaps due to the popularity of the "easy pour" oil containers" most service stations no longer provide funnels on the gasoline pump islands for use by motorists needing to add oil. The result is generally that the customer does the best he or she can to minimize the spillage onto the engine and/or ground adjacent the vehicle but inadvertently does spill some oil or other fluid.
Long prior to the popularity of disposable oil cans or containers, metal oil cans were known which were provided with a hinged funnel to facilitate pouring of the contents. Examples include Trent U.S. Pat. No. 60,806; Gates, U.S. Pat. No. 425,502; Jack, U.S. Pat. No. 733,486; and Cox, U.S. Pat. No. 1,074,697. It would not be practical, however, to provide such a hinged funnel on the now popular disposable oil containers because of the expense and increased size of the containers which would require different, bigger and less efficient boxes or cases for storing and shipping the oil containers.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved combination disposable fluid container and conforming funnel.
Another object is to provide a disposable fluid container with a conforming disposable funnel.
Another object is to provide a conforming funnel for existing disposable fluid containers.
Another object is to provide a conforming funnel adapted to be removably secured to a disposable fluid container without modification of the container.
Another object is to provide a disposable conforming funnel for a fluid container which hardly changes the size and shape of the combination from the container itself whereby the combination containers and funnels can be packaged and shipped in the same case as conventionally used for the containers.
Another object is to provide a disposable fluid container with a readily accessible funnel.
Another object is to provide a combination disposable container and funnel wherein the container cap doubles as the mechanism for releasably securing the funnel on the container.
Another object is provide a combination disposable fluid container and funnel which is simple and rugged in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient in operation.